Expert Tips from a Child Psychiatrist
End of the month reflections
I've had a few patients who haven't been improving as quickly as I'd hoped, and it doesn't feel good. I've felt like a failure, and I thought it might be useful to share my reflections.
We often have lopsided priorities, focusing so intensely on one aspect of life that we neglect others. My relentless pursuit of perfection puts me at risk of burnout and feeling like I've fallen short as a human being. I know I can lean too hard on achieving that elusive goal of perfection.
As I say this, I realize many people feel the same way.
We all struggle intensely with things we don't like about ourselves and often act in ways that maintain those very concerns. For example, constantly checking if others respect us can intensify our unhappiness because we hyperfocus on signs that they don't. Or we avoid situations that make us uncomfortable, so we don't have to face our fears, leaving them unchallenged.
Feeling like we're terrible doesn't actually mean we are...
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